Alabama and Auburn have dominated the recruiting trail in recent years, consistently landing top-rated recruiting classes.

But even Nick Saban and Gus Malzahn have missed on a few valuable players.

As Alabama has moved to a national recruiting approach, talented in-state recruits have headed elsewhere and had success. Auburn recruits more regionally, but has missed on multiple talented contributors as well.

Which players were the most egregious misses? AL.com looked at the recruiting cycles from 2009 to 2013 -- it's too soon to determine anything from the most recent class of 2014 -- to find the in-state recruiting misses that likely cause the head coaches the most heartache. Over the next five days, we'll count down the five most important players that left the state of Alabama to play college football.

What happened: Alexander was rated as one of the Top 10 class of 2012 players in Alabama. Alexander had a Top 3 of Alabama, Auburn and LSU, but opted for the Bayou Bengals on National Signing Day. Since arriving in Baton Rouge, the 6-foot-2, 218-pound linebacker has been an important cog in LSU's defense. Last year, Alexander started nine games and finished fourth on the team with 65 tackles. He is expected to play an even bigger role in the defense this year with Lamin Barrow gone.

Nate Andrews, DB, Florida State

High School: Fairhope

What happened: Andrews was rated a three-star prospect in high school and didn't see his recruitment pick up until late in the process. He committed to Minnesota Dec. 5, picked up an Alabama offer Dec. 18 and flipped to Florida State Jan. 25. Former Alabama assistant and current Georgia defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt played a big role in getting Andrews to sign with the Seminoles. The class of 2013 prospect looked like a steal for Florida State last season, leading the team in interceptions.

Darius Philon, DL, Arkansas

High School: Vigor

What happened: Philon was involved in one of the most famous recruiting stories in recent memory. He committed to Alabama in September, but was offered a grayshirt a week before National Signing Day due to a knee injury that required surgery. At his signing day ceremony, the class of 2012 defensive lineman donned an Alabama hat, but ended up submitting a signed letter of intent to Arkansas that day. Alabama's decision has worked out well for Arkansas. Last year as a redshirt freshman, Philon had 46 tackles, nine tackles for loss and three sacks. He is considered one of the top returning defensive tackles in the SEC this year.

D.T. Shackelford, LB, Ole Miss

High School: Austin

What happened: Shackelford, a four-star prospect out of high school, signed with Ole Miss over Tennessee and Auburn. The class of 2009 prospect committed to Tennessee in August, only to flip to the Rebels in late January. At Ole Miss, Shackelford has shown signs of greatness, but missed the 2011 and 2012 seasons due to injury. Last season -- his first time on the field since 2010 -- he played in all 13 games, switching between linebacker and defensive end. Shackelford is back for a sixth year at Ole Miss, and should be counted upon to bring leadership and experience to a team with high aspirations.

De'Runnya Wilson, WR, Mississippi State

High School: Wenonah School

What happened: Wilson was a basketball star for much of his high school career, but decided to focus on football his senior year. The 6-foot-6 receiver was overlooked, but landed a late offer from Auburn. He ultimately decided to sign with Mississippi State and the decision has already paid off for Wilson. He got to play right away at Mississippi State last season as a true freshman -- he finished with 26 catches for 351 yards -- and is expected to be a starter for the SEC school this upcoming season.

Which recent recruit sticks out to you as a big recruiting miss? Let us know in the comments.